Omwisselen — Foreign Driving Licence Exchange in the Netherlands
Three foreign-licence groups can exchange at the gemeente without sitting Dutch tests: EU/EFTA holders, designated-country holders (RDW Article 4), and 30%-ruling beneficiaries.
The municipality submits the application to RDW; the new Dutch rijbewijs is collectable five working days after RDW notifies the gemeente, which happens within fifteen working days of submission.
Estimated time
20 working days for the gemeente-RDW round trip; up to 4 months earlier for a Gezondheidsverklaring
Cost
€— gemeente leges varies by municipality; Gezondheidsverklaring fee set by CBR
What You Need
Tap to check off items as you gather them
Additional Items
- Designated countries and territories per RDW Article 4 (verbatim, accessed 2026-05-07): Andorra
- Canada (Alberta + Québec)
- Gibraltar
- United Kingdom (Great Britain + Guernsey + Jersey + Isle of Man + North Ireland)
- Israel
- Japan
- Monaco
- Singapore
- Chinese Taipei
- Former Netherlands Antilles (Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, Sint Maarten)
- South Korea — 185-day residency-in-country-of-issuance condition applies to every territory listed above
Step-by-Step
- 1
Confirm you qualify for omwisselen
- Check which path applies: EU or EFTA licence holder, designated-country licence holder (the eleven grouped entries listed below the document checklist), or 30%-ruling beneficiary
- If you are on the designated-country path, confirm you lived in the country of issuance for one hundred eighty-five days in the year you obtained the licence — RDW's verbatim eligibility condition
- Confirm your foreign licence is still within its validity window in the Netherlands: fifteen years from issue for EU and EFTA category B; one hundred eighty-five days post-relocation for non-EU/EFTA
💡 Tip: EU/EFTA holders skip the Gezondheidsverklaring in the standard case. Non-EU/EFTA holders need it before applying at the gemeente — see the next step.
⚠️ Watch out: If your licence falls outside RDW's validity window, the gemeente will refuse the application. If your licence uses non-Latin characters and you arrive without a sworn translation, the application is also refused (RDW Dutch page on Japanese and Greek scripts).
- 2
Start the Gezondheidsverklaring before booking the gemeente (non-EU/EFTA path)
Gezondheidsverklaring
Expat Resident New ArrivalIf you are exchanging a non-EU/EFTA licence, or if your case otherwise requires a Health Declaration
- Apply for the Gezondheidsverklaring via Mijn CBR online or the paper form — RDW links onward to CBR for the application
- Wait for CBR processing — RDW: "Afhandeling door het CBR kan maximaal 4 maanden duren" (handling by CBR can take up to four months)
- Once approved, a Verklaring van Geschiktheid is registered in the rijbewijsregister; only then is it visible to the gemeente at your application
💡 Tip: Sequencing matters. The CBR window can run up to four months; the gemeente-to-licence-pickup window is only about twenty working days. Start the Gezondheidsverklaring first, then book the gemeente appointment second — if you reverse the order, the gemeente will refuse the application at the counter and you lose the slot.
⚠️ Watch out: Booking the gemeente before the Verklaring van Geschiktheid is registered means the application is refused at the counter; you wait again for CBR before re-applying.
- 3
Prepare the document set
- Get a colour passport photo meeting the Rijksoverheid fotomatrix-2020 standard
- Have the original foreign licence ready to surrender at the gemeente
- If your licence uses non-Latin characters, commission a sworn translation in the Netherlands
- If invoking the 30%-ruling path, bring the Belastingdienst beschikking on the 30%-regeling
- If you previously held a Dutch licence, bring it as well
- 4
Submit the application at your gemeente
Gemeente
- Visit the gemeente where you are registered in the BRP (Basisregistratie Personen)
- Hand in the application form, your passport photo, and your foreign licence; the foreign licence is surrendered and not returned
- Pay the gemeente leges — the fee varies per municipality; the gemeente sets it and not RDW
💡 Tip: The gemeente, not the applicant, submits the application to RDW. RDW: "Fill out the application form at the municipality and pay the fee." If you are not BRP-registered at this gemeente, the application is refused on procedural grounds.
⚠️ Watch out: If the foreign licence is invalid, expired beyond RDW's window, or non-Latin without a sworn translation, the gemeente refuses at intake. If you do not yet hold an approved Verklaring van Geschiktheid (when required), the application is also refused.
- 5
Wait for the RDW notification letter to the gemeente
- RDW evaluates the file and notifies the gemeente within fifteen working days of submission
- RDW: "binnen 15 werkdagen een brief" — within fifteen working days, a letter
- 6
Collect your new Dutch rijbewijs
Rijbewijs
- Five working days after the gemeente receives the RDW letter, the new Dutch licence is ready for collection at the gemeente counter
- Bring identification — the gemeente verifies before handing over the rijbewijs
⚠️ Watch out: If you collected a previously-held Dutch licence in the past that was valid after 30 June 1985, RDW lists a narrow exception path for some non-designated-country holders — see RDW's omwisselen page and ask the gemeente about the verbatim exception clause.
Costs
| Item | Amount | Payment | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Gemeente leges (municipal fee for the licence application) | €0 | In person at the gemeente — method per municipality (pin-card, iDEAL, or cash by gemeente policy) | Amount not centrally published. RDW: "The fee may vary per municipality" / "De kosten verschillen per gemeente." Check your own gemeente's leges schedule before the appointment. |
- Payment:
- In person at the gemeente — method per municipality (pin-card, iDEAL, or cash by gemeente policy)
- Notes:
- Amount not centrally published. RDW: "The fee may vary per municipality" / "De kosten verschillen per gemeente." Check your own gemeente's leges schedule before the appointment.
FAQ
General
Will my foreign driving licence be returned after exchange?
No. The original is surrendered to the gemeente at application and is not returned. You receive your new Dutch rijbewijs at the gemeente once RDW has notified them. Source: RDW omwisselen page, accessed 2026-05-07.
How long can I drive on my non-EU/EFTA licence before I must exchange?
One hundred eighty-five days from the date you relocated to the Netherlands. RDW: "Once those 185 days have passed and you do not yet have a Dutch driving licence, you will no longer be allowed to drive" — even if your exchange application is pending. Source: RDW "Driving with a foreign driving licence" page, accessed 2026-05-07.
I'm from a non-designated country. Can I still exchange under the 30%-ruling?
Yes. RDW: "Do you benefit from the 30% tax rule? Then you can exchange your driving licence (from any country)." Bring your Belastingdienst beschikking on the 30%-regeling to the gemeente as evidence. Source: RDW omwisselen page, accessed 2026-05-07.
What does the exchange cost?
The gemeente sets the fee and it varies between municipalities. RDW does not publish a single national figure — "The fee may vary per municipality." Check your own gemeente's leges rijbewijs schedule. If a Gezondheidsverklaring is required, that has a separate CBR-set administrative fee, not republished by RDW. Source: RDW omwisselen page, accessed 2026-05-07.
How long does the exchange take from application to licence collection?
For EU/EFTA exchanges, RDW notifies the gemeente within fifteen working days; the new Dutch licence is collectable at the gemeente five working days after that. For non-EU/EFTA exchanges, the Gezondheidsverklaring step at CBR can take up to four months before you can apply at the gemeente. Sources: RDW omwisselen page and RDW Gezondheidsverklaring page, both accessed 2026-05-07.
What if I'm from a country not on the designated list and I don't qualify for the 30%-ruling?
You cannot exchange. You must obtain a Dutch licence by sitting CBR theory and practical examinations — the new-issuance path. RDW's omwisselen pages link onward to CBR for that route. Other licence categories (AM moped, A motorcycle, B+E trailer, professional C and D) follow the same gemeente-RDW model with category-specific eligibility and validity rules. Source: RDW omwisselen and "Driving with a foreign driving licence" pages, accessed 2026-05-07.
After This Process
- → Register the new rijbewijs number with your insurer if your auto policy is already active
- → If you drive professionally, check the separate validity rules for category C and D licences (five years for EU/EFTA professional categories per RDW)
- → If your stay is shorter than one hundred eighty-five days and you intend to drive only briefly, your foreign licence may already cover you — re-check the RDW "driving with a foreign driving licence" page rather than exchanging
Sources
- RDW — Exchanging a foreign driving licence (English) (rdw.nl ↗)
- RDW — Buitenlands rijbewijs omwisselen (Dutch) (rdw.nl ↗)
- RDW — Driving with a foreign driving licence (rdw.nl ↗)
- RDW — Gezondheidsverklaring aanvragen (rdw.nl ↗)
- Rijksoverheid — When is a Health Declaration or medical examination required? (rijksoverheid.nl ↗)
Was this helpful?
More in Netherlands
5 sources cited last accessed 2026-05-07
T1 official portal · T2 embassy/consulate · T3 news · T4 community — higher tier wins on conflict. methodology →
- T1RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) 2026-05-07
Eligibility for omwisselen covers EU and EFTA licence holders, holders of any licence under the 30% tax ruling ("Do you benefit from the 30% tax rule? Then you can exchange your driving licence (from any country)"), and holders of category-B licences from the sixteen designated territories: Andorra, Canadian province of Alberta, Canadian province of Québec, Gibraltar, Great Britain, Guernsey, Israel, Japan, Jersey, Isle of Man, Monaco, North Ireland, Singapore, Chinese Taipei, Former Netherlands Antilles, and South Korea. Designated-country applicants must have lived in the country of issuance for one hundred eighty-five days in the year they obtained the licence. Required documents include a colour passport photo, the foreign driving licence (surrendered to the gemeente), a sworn translation if the licence uses non-Latin characters, an old Dutch licence if previously held, the Health Declaration Form from CBR for non-EU/EFTA licences, and the Decision on Evidence Rule if applicable under the 30% tax rule. The application is filed at the gemeente, which submits it to RDW. RDW notifies the gemeente within fifteen working days; the new Dutch licence is collectable five working days after that. The fee may vary per municipality.
rdw.nl - T1RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) 2026-05-07
Dutch-language canonical: "De kosten verschillen per gemeente" — the costs vary per municipality. "Binnen 15 werkdagen een brief" — within fifteen working days, a letter from RDW arrives at the gemeente. Specific exception cases are listed for expired licences from Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Switzerland. Non-Latin-character licences ("Heeft u een rijbewijs met tekens die niet in Nederland worden gebruikt, bijvoorbeeld in het Japans of Grieks?") require a sworn translation. The Gezondheidsverklaring is required for non-EU/EFTA licence exchange.
rdw.nl - T1RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) 2026-05-07
EU and EFTA category-B holders may drive in the Netherlands for fifteen years from the licence date of issue (categories AM, A1, A2, A, B, BE — fifteen years; professional C and D categories — five years). Non-EU/EFTA holders may drive for one hundred eighty-five days post-relocation. RDW verbatim: "Once those 185 days have passed and you do not yet have a Dutch driving licence, you will no longer be allowed to drive."
rdw.nl - T1RDW (Rijksdienst voor het Wegverkeer) 2026-05-07
The Gezondheidsverklaring is applied for online via Mijn CBR or via paper form; processing is done by CBR. RDW Dutch verbatim: "Afhandeling door het CBR kan maximaal 4 maanden duren" — handling by CBR can take up to four months. Once approved, a Verklaring van Geschiktheid is registered in the rijbewijsregister. The Health Declaration is required for non-EU/EEA licence exchange and for other listed categories.
rdw.nl - T1Rijksoverheid (Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat) 2026-05-07
Conditions under which a Gezondheidsverklaring or medical examination is required: age seventy-five and above, large categories (C and D), specific medical conditions, and post-incident police review. Medical-assessment rates more broadly are described as "vastgesteld door de Nederlandse Zorgautoriteit (NZa)" — set by the Dutch Healthcare Authority. Rijksoverheid does not publish a single flat EUR figure on this page; the rate depends on the doctor and service.
rijksoverheid.nl